Lucas Ordoñez won the first GT Academy time-trial contest, giving the gamer-racer his start in the FIA GT4 series. Now he's signed to Team Signatech Nissan, and will compete in the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mind-blowing.

Ordoñez's rise from virtual anonymity to a major series could be the ultimate digital coup, or at least the validation of the virtual realm as a source for the next generation of racers. Ordoñez, who's said he had "a little bit of racing experience" in his native Spain before competing in the Gran Turismo time trial, will pilot Team Signatech Nissan's ORECA O3 LMP2 car in the 2011 International Le Mans Cup, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June. He'll make his series debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring later this month.